NASA ARTEMIS P1 craft surpasses another year in lunar orbit since 2011; it was 1 of 5 satellites launched 2007 to study Earth magnetosphere.
NASA ARTEMIS P2 craft surpasses another full year in lunar orbit since 2011; 1 of 5 satellites launched 2007 to study Earth magnetosphere
Celebrating the 1st people walking on the Moon / another celestial body – International Moon Day has been a recognized / endorsed declaration by the United Nations since 2022.
NASA craft surpasses another full year in space today, having launched Aug 12, 2018; probe came within ~6.16M km of the Sun on Dec 24, 2024 which is ~7 times closer than any prior spacecraft, traveling faster than any other human-made object at ~692,000 km/hr.
Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander and Pragyan rover celebrated today after successfully landing on Moon in 2023; marking India as the 4th country to land on Moon, and 1st near the Moon South Pole.
NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2012; adding to the understanding of Earth radiation belt environment and its variability.
Japan's X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), studying galactic plasma, surpasses another full year in space today at ~550-km LEO, having launched 2023.
NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft surpasses another full year of operations in Mars orbit after insertion on this day 2014; continuing to study upper atmosphere.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2015.
First solar observatory for China known as CHASE or Xihe / 羲和 surpasses another full year in space since launching on this day via Long March 2D in 2021.
NASA spacecraft mapping boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space surpasses another full year in space; launched on this day 2008.
European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (dubbed Mio ‘waterway or fairway’) surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2018; expected to reach Mercury polar orbit in Nov 2026 to map planet, investigate magnetosphere.
NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in orbit around Mars today, holds record for longest-surviving continually active spacecraft in orbit around a planet other than Earth; launched 2001.
NASA craft imaging Sun and solar phenomena surpasses another full year in space today; launched 2006.
NASA veteran spacecraft with 2.4-meter mirror could continue operations into this decade and beyond; launched April 24, 1990.